Stars
by Mrs Caulfield
Summary: Written for the prompt: "Naegi asking Kirigiri out on a date after the whole school incident" It is times like these that Kirigiri must remind herself that despair must never triumph over hope


**Prompt: "Naegi asking Kirigiri on a date after the whole school incident"**

_The stars sure are beautiful tonight._

That is the thought that crosses one Kyouko Kirigiri's mind as she takes note of how brightly lit the sky is at present. It is a refreshing perspective in stark contrast to the polluted air that they are currently breathing in. Her resolve is steady, as she usually is—or at least, how she tries to be in moments of deep emotion.

She's always hated feeling raw and exposed.

But for now, she decides to enjoy the moment for what it is. Lets it distract her from all this… _despair_ that they are all immersed in.

For all that Kirigiri believes in, she knows that it is the one thing she must not give into.

But for what reason? And at what cost?

The lines are becoming blurrier by the minute. _One decision… that is all it takes._

"Ah, Kirigiri-san! There you are."

She is snapped out of her reverie by the sound of Makoto Naegi's voice. She looks at him, expression blank. But her shoulders relax when she realizes who it is.

"Naegi-kun," she nods in greeting. "Good evening."

"Good evening. Mind if I sit here?" He asks, gesturing to the empty space on the park bench beside her.

"Might as well. I suppose I do need some company tonight," she says wistfully, gaze locked intently on her shoes. Naegi settles down on the seat beside her.

_What is he doing? He isn't supposed to be here._

"The sky looks lovely tonight, doesn't it?" Naegi speaks quietly, as if afraid to break the almost palpable form of calmness that surrounds them.

"Yes. There are more stars thanthere usually are."

She risks a glance at him, only to see that his gaze is fixated up at the sky, a small smile playing on his lips. He raises his index finger.

"You're forgetting about something," he says, still quiet.

"What do you mean?"

"The moon. It shines brighter than everything else. It may change from time to time, and sometimes there's more of it than other times, but it's still there."

"Oh. I assumed that it was a given. As you said, the moon is always there. It's hardly worth noting."

"Doesn't mean we can't appreciate it every once in a while, right?"

Naegi looks back at her, the same small smile plastered on his face. Kirigiri finds it admirable that he could smile at a time like this.

She has to admit that most of the time, she could not understand Naegi's ways. She could not understand how he is always so optimistic. She couldn't understand where she finds all that strong will of his. She couldn't understand why, despite her best efforts of pushing him away, he still insists on becoming her friend.

And he trusts her so fully, even though he shouldn't.

The world is dark and cruel, has always been that way even before the events of the Malefaction occurred. She's thought of this, even before being thrown in the arena of mutual killing.

"Hey, Kirigiri." He prods, a concerned look gracing his features. "What's on your mind?"

What's on her mind? Everything, that is. How everything feels darker and emptier. How she feels like she's been carved from the inside and turned into a hollow shell of cells and tissues and that she barely even knows herself anymore.

Her father's face flashes in her mind. She could've gotten to know him. She could've even made peace with him. Could've had much better memories with him. Instead, all of those went away when Enoshima wiped out her memories.

The thought makes her fists clench and grit her teeth. There is no use dwelling in the past, she's always told herself that. She wonders why now, of all times, her resolve starts to break down.

A warm hand covers her fist. She gasps, eyes instantly snapping up to meet Naegi's.

"Are you alright?" He asks in that extremely kind voice of his.

"O-of course I'm alright, Naegi. There is nothing to be concerned about." She congratulates herself on her ability to keep her voice steady even though her insides are trembling.

"It's okay to be mad, you know. I'd be too if I were you."

"What?"

Naegi's smile widens, though it appears to be more sheepish this time. "Just promise me you'll let me be there for you this time, alright? I want you to know that you can trust me."

But she knows full well that she _does_ trust him, and the extent to where her trust in him reaches to. And it scares her more than any other thing in the world.

Because she loves him. That has always been the truth. And she'd be a fool not to trust him, when his mere presence instantly makes her feel a thousand times safer.

"I promise," she answers, grateful that he understands.

"Good. Also, Kirigiri… I've been meaning to ask you something…" He nods, then drops his gaze onto the grass. Kirigiri wonders why he's suddenly shifted to shyness. He looks… nervous?

She tries to comfort him by opening her fingers under his hand and lacing them with his. Naegi jumps a little, the blush on his cheeks deepening.

His mop of light brown hair prevents her from seeing his whole face, and she's secretly irked by it. As much as possible, she always wants to look at his face, to see the look of pure hope in his eyes and be comforted by his graceful smile. If it's to keep her despairing thoughts at bay…

"Y-you… You're extraordinary, Kirigiri-san."

She is surprised by his remark. He still would not look at her.

"You are smart… a-and strong…"

_Where is he going with this?_

"I-I want you to know that… back in—back in… _that_ place… I always looked up to you. I wondered where you get your strength from. And I found myself thinking that if you can be calm, then so can I. You kept me from doing many drastic things…"

_Are you quite sure about that?_

The last thing that Kirigiri expected is to be told that she had been a pillar of strength for someone else.

_I am not all you make me out to be,_ she wants to tell him. _I am much, much worse than that. _

This time, a montage of her dead classmates play in her head—one after another. She had no qualms investigating their corpses, but this is an entirely different matter.

The present is always much easier to handle. It is looking back on it that makes it so painful.

There is just so much _despair.._. In her past, in her present, and most probably in her future. It is dark and inciting, clawing at her resolve and threatening to send her off the edge at any moment's notice.

Why even try to fight it?

"What I'm trying to say is… I love you, Kirigiri-san." Naegi finally—_finally_—looks at her, and she almost sighs audibly in relief.

She seeks out the purity of hope in his eyes, and the waves of sadness and despair inside her instantly calms down and dissolves away, melting to nothing, making her feel like she is the happiest girl in the world.

_He… How does he do that?_

_And why?_

_Why me?_

She feels tears prickling her eyes and she struggles to suppress a sob.

_I am no good for you, Naegi._

"Kirigiri?" He talks quietly. "That probably wasn't the right time to say it. I'm really sorry. You were thinking very deeply about something. I shouldn't have troubled you with my feelings."

"You… _you_…" she says shakily, tears running freely down her face now. God, she must look like an idiot.

"Kyouko_, _it's alright…"

And that is it. That is all she needs to break down completely in front of him. Her head settles on his chest and her arms wrap around his torso as quiet sobs rack down her frame.

Naegi, shocked, places his arms on her back. When he recovers, he tightens his arms around her, burying his face in her hair.

"Always, Naegi," she says softly, barely loud enough for him to hear. "Promise me you'll be with me always."

He nods against the top of her head in response.

She brings her face up to match his, wanting to seek out the hope in them. Unfortunately, his eyes are closed.

So she kisses him instead. And she realizes his lips bring out the hope in his eyes and raises it tenfold.

He kisses back shyly, but eagerly. And she loses herself into it, allowing her this one pillar of hope against a backdrop of tantamount despair.

The stars may shine bright tonight, but it is the ever-present moon that we must always refer to.

Because no matter how bright the scattering of stars may be, it will never come close to the radiance that is the moon.

And that is all that matters. Now and forever.


End file.
